Ball winding machine



Oct. 28, 1941. R. s; FRANCIS BALL WINDING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1940 1N VENTOR.

Zaymhd BY g i ATT RNE) R. s. FRANCIS BALL WINDING MACHINE Oct. 28, 1941.

' fi ymondifianczb' BY 1644:; a

ATTORNEY O 28, 1941. R. s. FRANCIS BALL WINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1940 5 Sheets$heet a INVENTOR z flanclli' ATTORNEY 1v v 1 a Patented Oct. 28, 1941 BALL WINDING MACHINE Raymond S. Francis, Rumford, R. L, assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, 7 N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 30, 1940, Serial No. 363,452

15 Claims.

This inventionrelates to machines for winding spherical bodies with strands of flexible or elastic material, to produce golf-balls for example, and the invention relates more particularly to improvements in the ball winding machine of the H. Z. Cobb Patent No. 1,270,009.

The machine of this Cobb patent is an excellent golf ball winding machine and it has been extensively used for many years.

During the last few years a demand has developed for a very hard golf ball produced by winding the rubber strand under the highest tension it is practical to use. When a golf ball is produced on the machine of the Cobb patent by winding the ball under this high tension, chafing of the rubber threadoccurs, resulting in thread breakage. The amount of thread breakage which has occurred in winding any ball may be readily determined by unwinding the rubber thread from the ball to determine how many breaks appear, and whether or not serious chafing has been caused by the winding apparatus.

The present invention contemplates various improvements in the winding machine of the Cobb patent whereby a golf ball may be wound under the extremely high thread tension now desired, without chafing th ball or breaking the rubber thread.

The ball winding machine of the present invention, like that of the Cobb patent, is provided with two similar rotating heads adapted tosupport and rotate the ball upon the longitudinal axis upon which the heads rotate. These heads are supported to move yieldingly away from each other as the size of the ball increases, and each head is provided with a pair of discs which cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball.

One important feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby no metal parts engage the ball during the thread winding operation. Another important feature resides in the construction whereby chafing of the ball is avoided as the supporting discs are operated to turn the ball in the rotating heads from one axis to another.

A further important feature resides in th use of rubber tires upon the discs to decrease the danger of chafing the ball, and in means for clamping each tire to its disc to prevent the tire from creeping thereupon as'the disc is positively driven to shift the ball from one aXiS of rotation to another. r

These ball supporting discs are necessarily mounted close together upon the heads so as to support the small .ball center at the beginning of the ball winding operation, and there is therefore not much space'between these discs. A further feature of the presentinvention therefore resides in means whichmay be readily operated from the outer surface of a head to release a disc so that it may be removed when it is desired to change the .rubber tire upon the disc.

A further feature of thepresent invention resides in an idler cylinder mounted on each head in position to retain the ball in engagement with the discs and which is supported for both rotating and sliding movement, so that it may slide freely as the ball is shiftedto a different axis. This free sliding movement of the cylinder avoids chafing the ball as it is turned within the heads. The cylinder is formed of rubber or is rubber faced to avoid chafing the ball.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in mechanism for periodically and independently rotatingthe two discs of each head by mutilated gears constructed to cause one disc upon a head to dwell once during its complete revolution, and the otherdisc upon this head to dwell twice duringitscomplete revolution, so as to' turn the ball frequently in the heads on different axes. A further feature resides in fiat spots on the discs adapted to form cooperating pole supports for the ball as it is turned to a new axis.

The above and other features of the invention and novel combination of parts will be more fully understood'when read in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating one good practical embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with parts in section of a bench type of golf ball winding machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view with parts in section of the construction of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 on' a larger scale is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the heads and the operating mechanism for the same;

Fig, 4 is a transverse sectional view through the head of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a face view of a pair of cooperating mutilated gears having one dwell;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a pair of cooperating mutilated gears having two dwells;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through one ball supporting disc and the means for supporting and rotating the same;

Fig. 8 is a view showing how a ball is supported by the four discs and cooperating idler cylinders; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the ball is turned upon different axes by the supporting discs.

The drawings illustrate what is known as a bench type of golf ball winding machine and the various operating parts are housed within the hollow metal frame I having the housing II at its left hand end and the housing II at its right hand end. Between these housings is provided a clearance space in which the golf ball support ing heads I2 and I2 rotate. Thes two heads are similar in construction and operation as is also the mechanism for supporting andoperating each head. Therefore the description of one will I suffice for the other.

In the lower portion of the hollow frame I0 is mounted a main drive shaft I3 which extends longitudinally of this frame and serves to operate both heads. This shaft is driven by the grooved pulley I4 secured thereto and adapted to be rotated by V-belts from a motor (not shown) butiwhich is'usually located beneath the frame ID. The shaft I3 is journaled near each end thereof in the bearings l5 and I5 which are shown as supported in a suspended condition from the top and side walls of the housings II,

II by the flanges I6, I6. 7

The shaft I3 is provided at its opposite ends with the gears l1, l1, and adjacent these gears are provided theslightly larger gears I8 and I8. The gears I8 and I8 serve to rotate the heads I2 and I2 respectively and the slightly smaller gears l1, l1 serve to rotate the ball sup porting discs within the heads as willbe more fully hereafterexplained.

Within the housing II is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement the shaft supporting sleeve I9, and within the opposite housing II is mounted a similar sleeve I9. The sleeve I9 is supported for limited sliding movement within the bearings and 2I, and it is provided with an integral flange 22 having a notched portion in its upper edge adapted to slidably engage a fixed pin 23 secured in a Wall of the housing- II. The construction is such that the sliding engagement between the flange 22 and ,pin' 23 holds-the sleeve I9 against rotation. I

The sleeve I9 is provided with anannular groove or recess 24 adapted to be engaged by anti-friction rollers provided at the upper ends of the spaced arms 25 and 26 which armstogether form a yoke that engages the opposite sides of the sleeve I9 and serves'to impart sliding movement to the sleeve. The arms 25 and 26 are rigidly secured to and extend upwardly from the transversely extending shaft 21, to which shaft is also rigidly secured the longitu dinally extending arm 28. r

The bell crank lever formed of the transversely extending shaft 21, upwardly extending arms 25 and 26 and longitudinally extending arm 28 con stitutes means for imparting sliding movement to the sleeve I9 and head I2, to move the head towards and from the ball supporting position.

A similar bell crank lever consisting of the upwardly extending arms,.transversely extending shaft 21 and longitudinally extending arm28' serves to impart a sliding movement to the sleeve I9 and its head I2, and in order that the same sliding movement may be imparted to both heads the arms 28 and 28' extend towards each other at the back of the machine into overlapping relation aswill be apparent fromFig. 2,

where they are connected by a sliding block 29 which serves to impart the movement of one arm to the other.

The portions of the arms 28 and 28 which are connected by the sliding block 29 are continuously urged downwardly by the weight supporting means 30 which is secured to an ear 3I formed upon one of these arms. This weight supporting means is provided with as many sired to separate the heads I2 and I2 to move "them .out of engagement with the ball this may be done by manually pushing rearwardly the upwardly extending lever 33 disposed at the rear of the machine adjacent the housing I! and rigidly secured to its supporting shaft 34 that is rockingly mounted in the brackets 35 and 36 secured to the rear portion of the frame I0. Rigid- 'ly secured to this shaft :34 andextendingzfrontwardly therefrom into the frame I0 is the arm 31, the inner end .of which projects-under the arm 28' to lift the latter when the hand lever 33 is pushed rearwardly, this-serves to raise both arms 28, 28' and force the heads-12,12 apart. I

The purpose of the sleeve I9 is-to-rotatably support the head l2-and to slide it towards and from the ball winding position. The construction of this sleeve and the mechanism .ifor-supporting and rotating the head I2 isbest shown in 3 wherein-it -will be seen that the sleeve I9is provided near its ends with the antifriction bearings 38 adapted to rotatably support the head'operating hollow shaft 39. To the inner end of thishollow shaft is rigidly secured an annular flange-40-to which is bolted the-head I2, and to'the opposite end of the shaft-39 is rigidly secured by the set screw M, the operatinggear 42; This gear 42 meshes-with the abovementioned gear I8 upon the main drive shaft I3. The arrangement'is such; thatrotation of the shaft" l3 'serves to drive the head I2 through the shaft 39 and-cooperatinggears I8 and 42, and at the same time the head I2"is similarly driven by its hollow shaft and cooperating gears The mechanism described serves to impart'the same rotating movement to the heads I2 and I2' and to hold them" yieldingly in engagement with the ball B to thereby'wind the rubber threador tape T about the ball in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis'ofthe'shafts39 and 39: It is necessary, however; in order to wind a ball or sphere by the present mechanism tof'shift frequently the axis upon "which the ball B" isbeing rotated in order to distribute the windings of the thread evenly around theball. The; means for shifting thisball to different axes: of rotation with respect to the heads I2 and I2" will nowbe described. j V

Within the head I2 are rotatablymountedthe ball supporting discs .a andv b and within the head I2 are rotatablymounte'd the similarball supporting discs 0 and d. 'These four discs are preferably taperedas shown, and discs upon one head cooperate withthe discs upon the other head to support androtate the ball. The.turn-; ing ofthe ball B from one axisto anotheris secured by positively but intermittently rotating ."I'he means for imparting, the. desired rotating movement to the discs 41 'and'b mounted within the. head [2 comprises the longitudinally extendingishaft 43 journaled within the bearings to rotate fwithin the hollow shaft 39. This shaft 43 is provided. at its outer end. with the gear 45 which meshes with the gear H. The gears 42 'and 45 are preferably made of fiber or other nonmetallic material and the gear 45 is slightly larger than the gear 42, and-may have one more tooth than the gear 42. The purpose of this is to rotate the shaft 43 slowly within the shaft 39 during the ball winding operation. This serves to rotate the bevel gear 46 slowly in the head [2. The gears l1 and I8 are wide enough to engage the gears 45 and 42 respectively throughout'their sliding movement.

Within the head I2. is rotatably mounted the transversely extending shaft 41 which has rigidly secured thereto a bevel gear that meshes with the bevel gear 46. This construction serves to rotate the transversely extending shaft 41. To one end of the shaft 41 is rigidly secured the mutilated gear 48 and to the other end of this shaft is rigidly secured the mutilated gear 49. As will be apparent fromFigs. and 6, the mutilated gear 48 is provided with one smooth convex surface whereas the mutilated gear 49 is provided withtwo of these surfaces disposed at nearly diametrically opposite sides of the gear.

Within the head I2 is also rotatably mounted the stub shaft 50 to the inner end of which is removably secured the disc 19, and the stub shaft 5| to the inner end of which is removably secured the disc .a. To the outer end of the .stub shaft 50 is rigidly secured the mutilated gear 52 which is operated by the gear 48 as best shown by Fig. 5, and to. the outer end of the stub shaft 5| is rigidly secured the mutilated gear 53. which is operated by the, mutilated gear 49 as best shown inFig. 6.

The discs 0 and d within the head I2 are posi- I tively operated by mechanism similar to that just described and the arrangement is preferably such that during the ball'winding operation an. intermittent rotating movement is imparted to all four discs to operate them as follows during one complete rotation of the shaft 41: (1) all four discs are rotated together through a small angle to thereby rotate the ball B on the axis XX of Fig. 9, (2) then the diagonally opposite discs at and d are rotated while the discs I) and c are held against rotation within their respective heads to thereby rotate the ball on the axis YY,

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(3) then the discs I) and c are-rotated while the 4 discs a and d are held against rotation to thereby turn the ball upon the axis ZZ, and (4) then the discs a and d are again rotated while the other two discs are held against rotation to turn the ball upon the axis YY, thus completing one complete cycle of operation. This series of operation serves frequently to shift the axis of the ball B as the same is being rapidly rotated upon the axis W by the rotating heads I2, l2 to wind the tape T about the ball B. To secure'these series of operation it is necessary that the gears 48 and 49 berfastened to the opposite ends of the shaft 41 so that the dwell of the gear 48 is disposed at the proper angle to the dwells of the gear 49.

As above stated,v there is now a demand for golf balls which are wound under very high tension and the primary purpose of the present invention is to facilitate the winding of a ball under this high tension without chafing the ball or breaking the thread. To this end an important feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby no metal parts engage the ball during the Winding operation. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention each of the discs a, b, c and d which may be formed of metal is provided with a rubber tire R as best shown in Fig. 7. .Since these discs are positively. driven periodically within their heads to turn the ball from one axis to another, it is important that provision be made for prevent ing the tires R from slipping upon these discs. Therefore a further feature of the present invention resides in meanswhich will now be described for firmly clamping each tire to its disc to prevent it from creeping, and another feature resides in the construction whereby these discs may be easily removed from the heads to facilitate the changing of the tires when this becomes necessary.

These objects are secured by the construction best shown in Fig. '1 wherein it will be seen that the stub shaft 50 is made hollow, to receive the clamping bolt 54 which extends axially through this stub shaft and is formed with a hexagonal head at its outer end adapted to receive an operating. wrench. The shaft 50 is provided at its inner end with the integral plate 55 against which one face of the disc b may rest when the disc is secured to this shaft. The opposite face of this disc 17 is constructed to be engaged by.

the clamping head or plate 56 which is threaded at 51 to receive the threaded inner end of the clamping bolt 54. The arrangement is such that the bolt 54 serves to clamp the disc b firmly to the inner end of the stub shaft 50, and the plates 55 and 56, serve to clampingly engage the peripheral side portions 58 and 59 of the tire R to thereby firmly secure the tire to its disc to pre vent its creepage thereupon.

It is important in order that the above described dwells may come right, that when a disc is removed from its stub shaft, it be turned to its proper angular position with respect to'that shaft when it is again secured thereto. Therefore in order to secure the disc b to its shaft 50 in the proper angular relation therewith, the construction shown in Fig. 7 is employed wherein the head 56 is provided with the pin 60 which'is adapted to pass through a hole 6| in the disc b and into the hole v(i2 in the plate 55 to secure these parts together in proper alignment, and to positively drive the disc 1) from its shaft 50. It. is to be understood that each of the discs a, b, c and d is secured to its operating shaft by mechanism such as shown in Fig. '7 so that any one of these discs may be easily and quickly removed by operating the bolt 54. To this end the cover plates 63 at each side of the heads l2 and 12 are pro vided with a wrench receiving hole closed by the nut 64 which may be removed when a wrench is to be engaged with the head of the bolt 54 to operate the same. It will be seen'from the foregoing that the bolt 54 serves not only to removably secure a disc to its shaft 50 or 5| but also to clamp the tire R to its disc 50' that creepage of the tire is prevented.

*When the ball B is being turned on either the axi YY or ZZ of Fig. 9 it is important to reduce the pressure at this instant upon the ball at the poles upon which it .is being rotated, to thereby lessen the friction upon the ball at this time. Therefore, in accordancev with the present invention the disc's b; and. c1:which receive one dwell each'ziduringsa ic'ompl'ete rotation are each. provided' with one flat spot S (seeFigj. 9)"upon their periphery, and the'other: two discs a-and d-which receive ztlwot'dwells during one complete revolufor ifreesliding'movement in the'direction of its length; 1T0 this end the cylinder 65 is rotatably and'slidablyzsupported in the ,head 12, by a fixed shaft fifiwhich is considerably longer than the cylinder 1, asshown in. Fig. 8 so thatthe cylinder may -slideian inch or so lengthwise of this'shaft. A relatively light coiled spring 61 is preferably provided about the shaft '66 near each end thereof and is confined between an end ofthe cylinder and theshaft supporting wall of the head 12 to thereby yieldingly hold the cylinder 65 spaced from the supporting walls of the head II 2 as shown in'Fig. 8. The cylinder 65 is conveniently formed of fiber. s'o'that it will rotate and slide freely on the shaft 66 .and is preferably provided with a rubber jacket onits outer surface to avoidchafing the: ball B. r

' When the ball is being turned uponpthe axis YY or"ZZ .asabove .describedythe cylinders 65 will at this instant be shifted by the ball to the dotted line positions in'which they are shown in Fig. 8. This relieves the ball from the chafing that would occur atithis time if these cylinders were not fre to slide in the direction of their length.

'The-rubberthread or tapeT to be'wound upon the-ball B under tension 'is supplied to the winding point under the desired tension from a source of supply not shown. The movement of "the heads'towards each other may be arrested at the desired point by adjusting the stop bolts. 68,-68' in the housings I l, I I to engage the flanges 22, 22;. When the ball B hasreached a predetermined siZe the winding operation may be stopped by causing an electric switch to be actuated to stop the operating motor.v To this end a switch box 69 is tiltingly mountedon the arm. 28in psitionto engage the adjustable stop bolt 10. The arrangement is such that the heads will be forced apart by the increasing size of the ball until the upward; movement of the arm. 28 engages the switch box 69 with the stop bolt to thereby stop the'operating motor.

' Having; thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a ball winding machine, 'opposed rotatable ballholding heads, a pair of tapered discs on I each head, the discs on onehead being adapted to cooperatewith the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball on the axis about which the heads rotate, power. means for rotating saidheads and for turning. the discs relative. to the heads, a free.rotating and sliding idler cylinder oneach head positioned to retain. the ball in engagement with the discs and adapted to slide freely as the ball is :turned to a different axis to thereby avoid chafing theball. v

2. In-a ball windingmachine, opposedrotata ble -ba1l holding heads, arpair. oftapered-discson each head, the discs. onzonei head beingadapted to cooperate with. the :discs upon the other head to support. and rotate theiball, wpowerzinean'sfffor rotating said heads to rotate the balliuponrthe :3."In aa ballwinding machine, opposed'rotatablecb'all iholdingheads, apair of discs on each head,i.the discs on 'onehead being adapted toxcooperate'withthe discs upon' the other head to support; and rotate the ball, power means for-rotating: said-heads to rotate the ball upon theaxis about whichzthe heads rotate, power driven stub shafts in the heads to turn the discs relative to the :heads, clamping means operable from .the

outside of theheads for removably securing. each .discto "the. inner end of its stub shaft so-rthat one disc can be removed without disturbing the other: discs, and a yielding cover'for-each "disc clamped thereto by said clamping means.

'4. A rotating head for a ball winding machine, a pair of spaced, cooperating ball-engaging discs on said head, means forrotating thediscs in I said head including a power driven stub shaft for each disc, clamping means operable from the outside ofthe head for removably securing -a disc to itsshaft, and a' tire for each disc; and secured to the 'disc' by said clamping means.

' 5. A rotating head for a ball winding machine, a pair:of spaced, cooperating ball-engaging discs on said head, means for rotating the discs in. said head including a power driven stub shaft for eachdisc, clamping means operable from". the outside of the head for removably securing a disc to its shaft, a tire adapted to fit overvsaid disc with aperiphery disposed at the inner and outer .face of' the disc, and means: operable by said clamping means for gripping both peripheriesof the tire to hold it from creeping on the disc.

' 6. .A rotating head for a ball winding machine, a pair of spaced, cooperating ball-engaging discs on said head, means for rotating the discs in said head including a power driven stub shaft for each disc, a tire'for each disc, means for removably-securing a disc to its shaft including an inner plate, an outer plate and clamping means operable to clamp said disc and its tire between said plates.

7. A rotating head for aball winding machine, a pair of spaced, cooperating ball-engagingdiscs on said'head, means for rotating the-discs in said head including a power driven stub shaft for supporting anddrivingeach disc, a tire for each disc, and clamping means extending axially through-each stub shaft'and operable to clamp a tire to'its disc to prevent the tirefrom creeping.

A rotating head for a ball winding machine, 7 v

apair of spaced, cooperating ball-engagingdiscs on said head, means for rotating the discs in said head including a power driven stub shaft for-eachdisc, a tire for each disc, andclamping means associated with each disc for clamping the tire to its'disc to' prevent the tire from creeping.

9. A rotating head for a ball winding machine, a pair of spaced, cooperating ball-engagingdiscs on said head, means for rotating the "discs in said head including a power driven stub shaft for eachdisc, a tire for each disc, and clamping meansassociated with each: stub shaft and-oper able from the' outer face of said head-for 'clamp- V ing the tire to its disc to prevent the tire from creeping.

10. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotatable ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate th ball, means for rotating the heads, means for rotating the discs in their heads including a hollow stub shaft for supporting and turning each disc, a tire for each disc, and clamping means extending through the hollow portion of each stub shaft and operable to clamp the tire to its disc to prevent the tire from creeping.

11. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotatable ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball, means for rotating the heads, means for rotating the discs in their heads including a hollow stub shaft for supporting and turning each disc, a tire for each disc, a bolt extending axially through each hollow stub shaft and operable from the outer face of the head to clamp a tire to its disc.

12. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotatable ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperat with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball, means for rotating the heads, means for periodically and independently rotating the two discs of each head, including a stub shaft for one disc having a mutilated driving gear with one dwell and a stub shaft for the other disc having a mutilated driving gear with two dwells, to thereby turn the ball frequently on different axes as it is rotated by said heads.

13. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotat-' able ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball, means for rotating the heads, means for periodically and independently rotating the two discs of each head, including a stub shaft for one disc having a mutilated driving gear with one dwell and a stub shaft for the other disc having a mutilated driving gear with two dwells, and each disc having a flat spot for each dwell adapted to form a pole support for the ball as the ball turns on a new axis.

14. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotatable ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate th ball, means for rotating the heads, and for turning the discs relative to the heads, a rubber faced idler cylinder supported on each head for rotating and sliding movement to retain the ball in engagement with the discs and adapted to slide freely as the ball is turned to a different axis, and a yielding tire on each disc, whereby no metal engages the ball as it is wound.

15. In a ball winding machine, opposed rotatable ball holding heads, a pair of discs on each head, the discs on one head being adapted to cooperate with the discs upon the other head to support and rotate the ball, means for rotating the heads, means for periodically and independently rotating the two discs of each head so as to cooperate with the discs of the other head to turn the ball from one axis to another, a tire for each disc, and flat spots on the discs adapted to form pole supports for the ball as it turns to a new axis.

RAYMOND S. FRANCIS. 

